The City of Angels
by OfficiallyNonOfficial
Summary: Love at the speed of mail. Jade reads a letter that isn't hers. One that ends up changing her life forever.
1. Crowded Rooms

**AN: Hi there. Right down to business then. Have you ever written a fic and you're on fire for two or three chapters and all of sudden someone dumps a bucket of ice cold water and that fire dwindles down to a wisp of smoke? Well that's been me for the last year. Yup. A whole year. I blame the illusion of happiness that was an eight or so month relationship. The muse doesn't work when it thinks it's happy. But the muse is back. And as far as relationships go, in the words of the great Faith Lehane, "Get Some Get Gone."**

**I also want to add here- FYL is already being edited so expect that some time this week. I want to say Thanks to a certain little mermaid for getting me off my ass where that fic is concerned. THANKS KIKOUMA. **

**A quick note concerning this fic: The first "letter" at the beginning of the chapters will be entries in Jade's journal. Enjoy. R&R, yea?**

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_Sometimes I feel like I'm alone in the world. No one understands me and no one is trying to understand me. I'm not crying about it. I simply want you to know what I feel. I'm surrounded but I'm lonely. My screams fall on death ears. Hearing and listening are two different things all together and I'm not so sure most of us know the difference. I don't think I even know the difference._

* * *

Jade felt the stress of the day in her shoulders, in the small of her back, and the base of her neck. The telltale signs of a headache throbbed behind her eyes as she found herself walking down a familiar path. After such a stressful day of interning at the hospital she was lucky to have escaped with her sanity, limbs, and internship intact. She blew out an exasperated breath and side stepped a fellow commuter. The guy was a typical zombie- tie, suit, briefcase, and a cellphone permanently attached to his ear. It was this exactly what she wanted to get away from. So she found herself walking the two miles from home to her preferred coffee shop.

The Wood was far from five star fine dining. It was a little coffee shop off to the side that hardly anyone noticed, not if they hadn't been there before. The coffee was strong, there wasn't a lot of people most days, and it was place where she could go to unwind which made it a winner in her book.

"Hello Jade." The elderly Asian woman greeted with a warm smile as she stepped inside.

Jade waved at the small woman. "Hey Mei Ling."

"I knew you be here. Six o clock on the dot." She said, proud she figured out the young girl's schedule. "I make coffee just how you like it."

The corner of her lips tilted slightly as she spotted the cup of steaming coffee already situated at her favorite booth at the far back of the shop. With a nod she weaved her way around the empty tables. With a sigh she fell into the familiar plush-y-ness of the red vinyl booth seat.

It was a warm day outside, pleasantly so. But the second her hands wrapped around the mug she felt a cold numbness in her body give way to its heat. The contrasting sensations sent a pleasant tingle down her spine.

She was 22 years old, fresh out of college and three months into her internship at Children's Rehabilitation Los Angeles. She worked at a small bookstore just off of Clayton Ave and even though it didn't bring in a whole lot of cash it was enough to supplement the bimonthly checks her parents insisted on sending her. Her love life was currently non existent but unlike so many young women her age it didn't bother her one tenths as much as it should. All in all she had a pretty good life. It was a tradition of hers to come by The Wood to take the time to count her blessings over a cup of steaming hot coffee.

Jade took a careful sip of the hot beverage so as to not burn herself and let her eyes roam the coffee shop...

"Can I get a cup of coffee? Black. Two sugars. Thanks."

Jade watched, her attention momentarily won over by a handsome young man at the register. Not a lot of people came by so close to closing time.

Tall, dark brown hair, and stylish. He work a pair of fitting denim jeans, a coat with a pressed baby blue dress shirt and a navy tie. He pushed back his square framed glasses on his nose using his shoulder. In the other hand he balanced four thick tomes.

She cocked a brow at him as he turned to look at her. He flashed a boyish grin her way and offered a little wave before taking his coffee and heading towards her.

'Great.' Thought Jade bitterly. All she did was raise a brow at the guy and he took it as an invitation to come sit at her booth. She rolled her eyes. Typical guy. She hoped he wasn't the annoying type.

EVERY ONE is the annoying type.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked, that same silly grin in place.

Jade eyed the books in his arms. They looked heavy. But why in the world did he have to come sit at her booth when there were nine booths, fifteen tables, and eight open stools at the counter? "If I say yes will you go away?"

The guy barked a laugh and set his books down on the table. He scooted into the seat and began rummaging through his bag. Minutes later he gave up with a groan. "Have you ever had one of those days when nothing seems to be going right? It's like the universe conspires against you."

"Just had one of those days myself. So if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone." Jade said as politely as she could muster.

He paused, shocked by her blunt manner no doubt. But it only seemed to faze him for a second before that annoying grin was back. He stuck out his hand in greeting. "Dustin Brooks."

Jade eyed his hand. "Jade." She mumbled crossing her arms on the table.

Dustin chuckled sheepishly at her. He knew without a doubt this girl didn't want him at her table but something compelled him to stay. She was very pretty but also gave the appearance of being untouchable. It just caught his attention.

"So this is a nice little coffee shop."

"Look, Dustin, I'm sure you're a really nice guy and everything but I'm not in the mood to talk. You can sit here if you can do so quietly."

That wiped the smile off his face. "Yeah. My bad." He stammered.

Jade bit her lip. It's not like she told the guy to come over and start a conversation with her. Still felt like a bitch though. "No. My bad. Sorry about that. Long day is all."

Once upon a time she wouldn't have given a rat's ass if she hurt this dude's feelings or not. She used to be mean, selfish, a total gank. Then her boyfriend broke up with her. She and Beck had been together for almost three years. She'd never been happier (even though it was unusual for her to show it) than she was in that time. But apparently Beck wasn't happy. He said she was self centered, hateful, and an overall bitch. That had really hurt her despite her firm denials. Slowly but surely she had made a change not because of Beck but because of herself. If someone that sweet, caring, selfless, and forgiving couldn't stand her then no one else would.

Dustin nodded, a small smirk coming back. He really was handsome with light green eyes, sparkling white teeth, and golden tan skin. Bred, born, and raised in California no doubt.

"It's fine. So, if you don't mind me asking, what's a pretty girl like you doing here by herself? Did the boyfriend ditch?"

Jade fought back the urge to roll her eyes. And here it was, the reason she hated any interaction with the male species. She wasn't exactly a man hater, but sometimes it was hard to see the silver lining on a black cloud storming on her parade.

"I just met you, now you're hitting on me?"

Dustin chuckled. He seemed fond of chuckling and grinning she noted. "No. Sorry I was just making an observation. I have a girlfriend."

"Shouldn't you be bothering her?" She asked with a smirk. She was TRYING to become a nicer person. Rome wasn't built in a day. Or five years for that matter...

"I would but we got into an argument. Apparently I don't get her. She broke up with me and kicked me out of her apartment. I'm sure we'll be made up by the end of the week. She just can't hold a grudge."

Jade finished off the last of her coffee and motioned for a refill. "Sounds like a decent girl."

"Oh she's the best!" He said sarcastically.

Before Jade could make a comment, a pretty blonde woman came charging to their table. At first she thought it might be his girlfriend, what with the withering glare sent her way, but the closer she came the more she realized they might be related. They certainly shared a lot of characteristics.

"I need to talk to you." She said. Straight to business then.

Dustin climbed to his feet wrapping his arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Jade, this is my lovely older sister Zoey. Zoey, this is Jade."

"Hey." Jade greeted.

"Nice to meet you, Jade." Zoey said distractedly. "Dustin can you tell me why you're here instead of fixing things with your girlfriend?"

Jade didn't miss the way Zoey's eyes darted to her. She raised her hands. "Hey I just met the dude."

"It's not what you think." Dustin sighed combing his fingers through his hair. "I needed a place to grade papers so I came here. But as it turns out I don't even have the papers. I left them in my classroom. Why don't you sit down to some coffee sis? My treat."

Jade bit back a smirk. She appreciated a good dose of drama as much as the next person. As long as it didn't involve her.

"Your treat? You have to go talk to her. She's really upset."

Dustin rolled his eyes. "She's always upset, Zo. Why do you always take her side?"

"Because she's my friend and you've done her wrong."

"And I'm your brother." He practically growled, all traces of the nice, chipper Dustin were gone. A dark shadow crossed his face.

Zoey shook her head. She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. "You screwed up." She said in disgust, tossing the envelope on the table. She stormed out of the coffee shop.

"Shit." Dustin groaned running after her.

Jade chuckled under her breath. She almost felt bad for Dustin but he was a guy. Chances where he probably did something to deserve both his girlfriend and his sister bitching him out. She had to admit however her interest was piqued. Who ever this girlfriend was she sounded interesting.

A few minutes later a fuming Zoey marched into the cafe. "Listen, I don't know who you are and frankly I don't want to know. What ever it is you and my brother were doing it stops now. I don't know what he told you but you're not the first girl he's cheated on her with. Just know in the end he always goes running back to her. Get out while you're ahead." She grabbed the books and his bag and left without another word.

Talk about shock factor! She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open. Looking out the window she saw Dustin and Zoey climb into a sky blue Challenger and peel out. What the hell just happened?

"Crazy girl make Jade mad." Mei Ling said sympathetically, refilling her coffee.

Jade continued to stare out the window, as if the answers to her questions might be written there. "No, it's fine Mei Ling. Can I get the check?"

"Jade leaving?" She asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. It was customary for them to engage in a game of chess after coffee and cake.

Jade offered a half assed apology. Not that she didn't enjoy the Asian woman's company but after that little scandal her energy drained right out of her. "I need to do some paperwork for the clinic. But I'll come back tomorrow."

"Okay. No check. Mei Ling give to you."

For the first time that day a genuine smile set itself on her face. It wasn't much but it was the generosity that warmed her. "Thank you."

Every bone in her body cracked as she stood reminding her that she was in dire need of some self loving. She was half way to the door when Mei Ling called her.

"This belong to Jade?"

Jade squinted at the object. It was the envelope Dustin's bat shit crazy sister had tossed. She had half a mind to tell Mei Ling to can it. Maybe it was important to Dustin. It would be payback for cheating on his girl.

She shook her head. What business was it of hers if Dustin liked to dip into the pond?... "Yeah. Thanks. I almost forgot it."

"Jade have good night."

"You too." She said taking the envelope and tucking it into her back pocket.

~~C.O.A~~

By the time Jade got to her apartment she was ten seconds away from collapsing. When Professor Matthews said an internship and a job would break her if she wasn't careful she thought he was being dramatic as usual. The last three months had been exhausting but today it all just seemed to catch up with her. Maybe it was the very painful fact that she enjoyed Dustin's company even if she hated admitting to herself. Maybe it was seeing his life, screwed up as it maybe, playing out like a soap opera. Exciting.

The most excitement she'd had was the one time she managed to beat Mei Ling at chess. And she kicked her ass six times in a row after she got cocky.

She glanced longingly at the kitchen. She was hungry but too damn tired to bother digging up anything. She forwent dinner, heading straight to the bathroom and dropping clothes as she went. All she wanted now (besides a meal she wouldn't get) was a nice hot shower and her big, comfortable bed.

But even that was denied her.

Remembering the envelope in her back pocket she snatched it out and tossed herself into bed. Any idiot with half an ounce of situational awareness knew opening a letter addressed to someone else was a class c misdemeanor. It's not like she got off reading mail that didn't belong to her but for some unmentionable reason her curiosity was getting the best of her tonight.

'Because of that idiot and his bitchy sister.' Jade mentally argued. She was just curious. It made sense. More sense than her index finger slipping under the seal and tearing it open, more sense than taking that letter out and unfolding it. More sense than that first wiff of perfume that made her mouth water and her chest tighten without reason. More sense than the very feminine handwriting on that letter that compelled her to read that first sentence...

_**Do you know how much I love you? I loved you the moment I saw you. It's not stupid is it? I hate to think it's stupid but maybe it was. Maybe I was. I'm talking to you right now but I know you don't hear me. You can't. You never have. Not that you haven't tried. I just speak a different language than you do, one you don't understand. Have you ever stood inside a crowded room and screamed at the top of your lungs? Screamed until your throat gets raw, your chest burns, and your voice cracks? But no one notices you. No one hears you... Your love is a crowded room. My heart is screaming.**_

* * *

_**TBC?**_


	2. Friends

**AN: Hey guys :) wanted to say thanks for all the reviews. Just pure awesomeness! Shout out to James888 for the muse comment- I needed that. Idk why but it totally made me laugh. This one's for you buddy. And to answer your question, yes, the last part in italics is part of the letters. TBC stands for To Be Continued.**

**Secondly I just want to say that I'm making a lot of crap up as I go. I've never been to Los Angeles, I'm just a small town Texas girl. I've been to Alaska tho. Pleasant people. So how could I possibly know details? Don't h8 fellow Californians you think we all ride horses, drink moonshine, and listen to Dolly Parton ;)**

**Third, I've seen maybe three episodes of Zoey 101 in my lifetime. So if the characters seem OC, now you know why.**

**Disclaimer: I seem to forget this bit a lot -_- I don't own Victorious or Zoey 101. They'd be a lot more like The L Word if I did. R&R cumpadres!**

* * *

_People surprise me sometimes. They do things no one would ever expect. They're unpredictable in their predictability. A wise man once said, __"__ I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always __trust to be dishonest. Honestly it's the honest ones you have to watch out for, you never can predict if they're going to do something incredibly stupid." That man happens to be a fictional character in a Disney movie but truer words were never spoken..._

* * *

There were days when Tori just wanted to throw in the towel, call it a night, and go home. There were days when she didn't even think she could make it home. Sometimes life's blows hurt more than any punch to the gut and they left her just as breathless. She was a good person. She went to church twice a month, volunteered at the local soup kitchen, visited her parents every Sunday for lunch, contributed to charity. She didn't honk at people manically for cutting her off in traffic or flick off the people that honked at her...

"Quinn?" She called softly, getting her eccentric friend's attention.

The nerdy brunette looked up from her salad. "What's up?"

Tori sighed, unable to meet her eyes. She felt guilty for some reason she couldn't place. Maybe it was because she was supposed to be having lunch with her boyfriend. Instead she ditched him for Quinn and Zoey (who had yet to show up.)

"I'm an okay person right?"

Quinn set down her fork, chewing on a piece of lettuce as she contemplated her friend. "What do you mean?" She asked carefully. She knew Tori was down in the dumps because of her incredibly insensitive boyfriend. The last thing she wanted to do was put her down.

"I don't kill people, I don't steal. I don't cuss. A lot. I've never been in a fight and I've always listened to my parents. I'm a good person, right?"

"...Well yea. I guess."

"Quinn!" Tori groaned, shoving her own untouched food away. She wasn't all that hungry anymore. Her thoughts were getting the best of her.

Quinn mirrored her actions. "The way I see it, Tori, is like this. Not killing, not stealing, not lying? These are things that are expected of people. Why should you be praised for something you're supposed to do in the first place? Now, going to the nursing home to sing for people their families have all but forgotten, volunteering your Saturday nights to the orphanage to take the kids out to a movie? Well that makes you better than a good person." She finished with a smile.

Tori smiled a little. Leave it to Quinn to spin it nicely for her. She appreciated her friends. Now more than ever. She needed someone to tell her she was doing something right. One thing in her life had to be right.

Things were getting drastically worse where it concerned Dustin. For every step they took forwards they ran back twelve. It was no secret Dustin cheated on her a year ago. Every one and their mother in LA found out before she did and it hurt. He betrayed her trust without a second thought, without any consideration to how it might affect her. Affect them. He called off the affair as soon as she found out but she shouldn't have had to force him to do it. He shouldn't have done it in the first place.

He was trying harder now. Even went above and beyond on Valentine's Day this year. But something just always felt wrong. When he was home he was as sweet and charming as he'd ever been. But he was hardly there now. There was always some excuse as to why he couldn't come over. Meeting, detention, after school duty, lunch with the supervisor, grading papers. There was always something.

Quinn studied Tori. She'd known the girl for five-six years now, since Freshman year at PCA college where they'd also met Zoey and Dustin. She'd never seen Tori look happier than the day Dustin asked her out. She'd also never seen her look sadder than she did now. Grabbing her cellphone she quickly scrolled through her messages and sent back a quick reply.

**Maybe we shouldn't tell her. She looks miserable as it is.**

**If we don't tell her now he'll just keep doing it. I busted him last night with some girl at The Wood.**

Quinn gasped, eyed widening at this new information. They'd only just broken up his last affair three weeks ago!

**You're kidding me! Who was she?**

**IDK Some chick named Emerald or something like that. She tried to deny it as soon as I showed up. Anyway I should be there in a few minutes. I think we should tell her.**

**It will break her heart.**

Quinn bit her lip when several seconds passed and no reply came. That must be Zoey's way of telling her to drop it. She shoved the phone back in her purse. "That was Zoey. She said she'll be here in a few minutes."

Tori nodded unenthusiastically.

It was weird, dating her best friend's brother. Had been since they started. But somehow Zoey always managed to surprise her. Every time she and Dustin got into a fight Zoey would comfort her, when ever he stepped out of line Zoey put him back in his place. Zoey had been the one to break the news to her about the cheating, she was the only that chewed his head off for it. Every one always said dating your best friend's brother was a big no no but that wasn't the case here. If anything her relationship with Dustin was better because of her.

"So why'd you freak?"

Quinn choked. Tori ran over and gave her a few pats on the back. The brunette cast grateful eyes at her and downed her glass of sweet tea. "Wh-what?"

"Why'd you freak when Zoey text you?"

"Oh! There was a sale. 30% off of all shoes. We missed it though. It was yesterday." She lied. Lately she was always lying to her unsuspecting friend. About Dustin. About Zoey. It sucked. It hurt. If Tori ever lied to her she would be crushed and yet...

"That's a shame. I could use some shoe therapy."

"-You're kidding? His sister?" Quinn and Tori turned towards the shrieking voice. Two girls were standing at the take out bar talking animatedly amongst themselves. Tori made a face, there was something oddly familiar about one of the girls.

Quinn scoffed. "Some people huh?"

Tori continued to stare. After a moment she turned back to Quinn who had resumed eating her salad. "Yeah. Some people."

~~C.O.A~~

"-then his sister comes back inside and says, what ever you two are doing it stops right now. You're not the first girl he's cheated with. He always ends up running back to her."

Cat's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You're kidding? His sister?" She shrieked. Her hands flew up to her mouth along with Jade's. Several patrons turned to look at her. She flashed them a sheepish smile.

"Jeez, Cat," Jade snarled, dark brows drawn and mouth screwed up in a frown, "Tell all of fucking LA why don't you?" Her hand dropped from her friend's mouth.

"I'm sorry, Jade," she said sincerely, "That's just- I mean wow. Talk about an interesting night."

Jade chewed her bottom lip. She knew the air headed girl meant no harm. She was just excitable, that's all. Besides, it was the hardest thing in the world staying mad at Cat. Especially with those big brown eyes. She was like Mort from Madagascar. Try staying angry at that. Impossible.

"There's more." In an instant bubbly, eager Cat was back. She rolled her eyes in good nature.

"Spill."

"Well Zoey forgot to grab the letter she tossed at Dustin. So I snatched it up before leaving and I... well I sort of read it." She added the last part quietly, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one else was listening.

Cat look horrified. "Jade!" She cried, "That's a class c misdemeanor! You can get fined for that!"

Jade just about had a heart attack. She glared at the nosy customers looking their way. "Shit, why I am your friend?" She lamented. Cat had practically announced to the whole store that she was a petty criminal.

Cat smirked at this. "If you get thrown in jail, I'll make sure you're treated nicely."

Jade groaned. Little things like this made her lose hope in the world. How on earth had anyone agreed to let Caterina Valentine become a police officer? What kind of idiot was in charge of the hiring process? Probably Sikowitz.

"Kill me now."

"Later," Cat dismissed with a wave of her hand. "So? What did the letter say?"

Jade pulled out a twenty dollar bill and paid the unremarkable man at the register. She pocketed the change and handed one of the carry out bags to Cat. "I'm not going to tell you."

That didn't go over well but she let it drop. For the moment "So what are you going to do now?"

She shrugged snatching up a few extra sugars from the dispenser. Much to the cashier's dismay. She ignored him. "I don't know. I guess I'm going to mail it back to her."

"You should tell her what a sleaze her boyfriend is. Honestly what is it with guys these days? They're so stupid."

"Yeah, right," Jade snorted, "why would I write her? I'll just send her stuff back. This is none of my business."

"Ahh! But you made it your business the second you lied about that letter belonging to you. Besides, there's some poor girl out there right now that thinks you're having an affair with her boyfriend. Why not set the record straight?" A slow grin crept up, "Who knows? Maybe she'll be so thankful that she'll drop that no good boyfriend of hers and come running into your arms."

Jade felt her face grow ridiculously hot. "Fuck you, Cat. Let's go."

Cat chuckled, following her friend through the patio. She noticed a very pretty brunette looking in their. More accurately, Jade's way. She smirked. Jade was as oblivious as ever.

~~C.O.A~~

Quinn raised a questioning brow at her friend. Tori hadn't stopped shooting glances at the two girls since they'd first spotted them. Eventually she stopped trying to get her attention, settling for watching her watch them.

They were very pretty. Displeasingly so. They looked like models or movie stars. Maybe they were. Not like she kept up with every rising star that seemed to pop up every other month.

"Do you know them?"

Tori heard Quinn's question but she was too distracted to answer. There was something so painfully familiar about those two girls and it just kept nagging at her. Her eyes followed the pale brunette. She had to be the most gorgeous woman she had ever laid eyes on. Every thing about her screamed perfection. Right down to the most outrageously green eyes on the planet. It made her self conscious.

She'd never thought of herself as overly pretty. She had long, dark wavy hair, big eyes, and high check bones working in her favor. Her body was okay. Slender. Thin. It was what guys liked. It was nothing like that girl's whose curves filled every stitch of her baseball tee and faded jeans. She was the type of girl Dustin would fall for easily.

Green eyes... The proverbial light bulb lit up! That girl's name was Jade West. She worked at the hospital she volunteered at. No wonder she seemed so familiar, she'd seen her every Friday morning for the last three months. They'd never exchanged more than a quick glance or an "excuse me" down the hall. Funny how she never realized how pretty she was until now. It was probably the bubble gum pink scrubs- anyone who could pull off looking good in those things must be a God.

Suddenly she caught herself meeting the eyes of the redhead who flashed a knowing smirk. She quickly turned around and found Quinn staring at her with a curious look on her face.

"Um, sorry. What was that?"

"I asked if you know those girls."

"Not really," She said around a sip of water, "The brunette works at Children's Rehab. I thought I recognized her."

"So she's a therapist? Not some kind of super model?"

Tori scrunched her face. "I guess. A super model?"

"She's very pretty." Quinn explained. Her face lit up. "Zoey!"

The two brunettes greeted the blonde with a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. The three sat down, smiles all around.

"Have you guys been here long?" Zoey asked, already scanning through the menu. "I'm sorry I'm late, traffic was a nightmare."

"It's cool. Quinn stuffed herself as usual."

"I resent that."

The three friends laughed and giggled throughout their lunch. By the time they were finished with desert and drinks it was two hours later and Tori found herself in a better mood than she had been in weeks.

"So, got plans with Dustin tonight, Tori?" Zoey ventured. She internally cringed. Way to kill the mood.

She froze. "Uh, no. No not really. Why?"

Zoey shrugged. "You tell me."

'Shit. So she found it.' She set her drink down meeting the familiar clear eyes of her five year friend. She liked to think she knew her friends as well as they knew her but apparently that was a mistake on her part. "You took the letter."

"I found it-"

"You went through my desk." She corrected, her voice strained. "How could you?"

Quinn shot Zoey a questioning glance. The blonde looked torn between being pissed and ashamed.

"Tori I didn't-"

"Did you give it to him?"

She bit her lip. "No. I threw it away." She lied. Not like anyone would be the wiser. Dustin hadn't read the letter. But she had.

Tori seemed to calm down a bit. She shook her head as if reassuring herself. "I said some pretty messed up things in that letter."

"I read it..." She admitted, a hint of aggression in her voice. Her brother was the two timing asshole but Tori was the one apologizing? "There's something I need to tell you."

"Zo-" Quinn started to interrupt, the look on Tori's face tore at her insides. But the blonde quickly cut her down.

"She has a right to know, Quinn."

"K-know what?" Tori inquired even though the sudden bout of nausea told her she already knew what she had to say. She closed her eyes, willing the stinging to go away. It only got stronger until the tears started flowing. "Tell me, Zoey." She rasped.

Zoey exchanged a look with Quinn. The brunette shook her head in disappointment. Tori had a right to know! Even if it was for her own selfish reasons...

"Yesterday I found Dustin having coffee with some girl." Silence. The noise of the LA traffic and commuters hardly registered. "I don't know if he was—you know- but they seemed to be getting along very well. He got pissed when I found them. I'm sorry."

Tori hardly heard any of her words past "having coffee with some girl." Her heart almost literally jumped into her chest nearly choking her. This news hit her like a ton of bricks, like a Mack truck, like a freight train going full steam ahead.

Dustin and some girl. Dustin and some girl having coffee. Dustin. Cheating on her. Again. Making a total complete fool of her. Making a mockery out of her love for him. Taking her trust and driving it into the ground the way he'd done before...

She gathered her things and shoved them into her purse. "I have to go. Thanks for lunch, Quinn."

Quinn hopped to her feet, moving to her side. "Tori wait! Don't go. Come spend the night with me. We can watch horror movies and pig out like we used to in school."

Tori flashed her a shaky smile. "I just want to be alone right now. But thanks." She gave Zoey a long hard look. She looked upset. "Thanks for telling me, Zo. I'll see you guys later."

Quinn watched the Latina practically run away from them. She waited until she disappeared around the corner before laying into Zoey.

"That was screwed up."

Zoey frowned, arms crossed over her chest. She refused to meet her gaze. "What ever."

"No, not whatever! That's our friend that just ran away crying because you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"So I should let my asshole brother get away with what he did? Is that it?"

"You know this isn't about Dustin-"

"It's always about Dustin. He cheated on her, Quinn!"

Quinn scoffed. "He's cheated on her numerous times. You've never told her. Why now?... You're out to get her aren't you?"

Zoey's mouth hung open for a second before she shut it. She took a fifty out of her pocket and tossed it on the table. "She has a right to know." She left quickly, leaving Quinn seething on the patio.

~~C.O.A~~

_I read your letter. _

No.

"Nice Jade. Make the poor girl think you're some psychotic stalker." She hissed. She grabbed the sheet of paper and crumbled it tossing it over her shoulder into the canister. Her eyes danced over Dustin's would be letter. She pressed the tip of the pen against the sheet.

_I found this letter at a cafe. I opened it to check for a phone number. I'm returning it to you._

"Lame much?" Another paper wad into the basket. That was the eleventh one. How hard could it be to write a damn letter? It didn't require a genius. So why was it so hard?

_Your boyfriend is a lying, cheating sack of shit. And his sister is bi-polar. Thought I'd return this letter to you :) Signed, Jade._

If she was trying to come off as an asshole she was doing a banged up job. She blew out a long breath. She should just put a stamp on the envelope and send it back. There was no real need to give her name or anything else for that matter. It should be enough just returning it. This was all Cat's fault. Putting stupid ideas in her head. This was the 21st century. People went online to make friends or hooked up with total strangers at the clubs. Only those 68+ still wrote letters.

Them and Dustin's girlfriend...

Snatching up the piece of paper that had haunted her for the better part of the night (and day) she brought it up to her face and began to read. Just like that the pen was flying across the paper, as if it had a mind of its own. Word vomit at its best.

_No matter how crowded that room is, there is ALWAYS someone listening. I'm listening._

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**AN: Okay so this might be kind of random but I really want to know. What is the funniest/dumbest pick up line you've ever used/heard? Go ahead, tell me. The funniest one will be featured in one of the upcoming chapters. **

**I'm from Texas, want to straddle my saddle?**


	3. A Day In The Life Of

**AN: Whoop whoop! 29 reviews for two chapters! Thank you thank you thank you. I like the fact that you guys take the time to say more than just "update." Thanks to everyone that submitted a pick up line, I was cracking up at the most unfortunate times. I'll definitely be using one or two in the next chapter. This ch was a lil hard to write. It's about twice the size of the last chapter and three times the size of the first. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any suggestions feel free to hit me up. R&R!**

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"_I act like shit don't faze me, inside it drives me crazy..."_

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BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The alarm clock blared. A hand shot out from under the covers to swat the offending object.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! A groan. Of course the alarm wasn't there. It had been moved all the way across the room the night before to prevent this very thing.

Jade tossed the sheets to the ground. She continued to lay there staring up at the ceiling. Monday already. Another weekend passed uneventfully sitting in front of the tube with a bowl of cereal and her horror DVD collection. It was becoming depressing. Cat said something about her being in need of more than just one friend (as much as she loved hanging out with her.) It put a damper on her mood. She had plenty of friends. There was Cat. Andre. And Carly!

Okay. Maybe not Carly. She was more like one of those people that you accidentally made out with one night when you were drunk and somehow she manged to get her number and now she wouldn't stop bugging. Not that Carly was a bad person. She was very attractive, smart, and a decent human being when she wasn't being needy or sensitive.

She didn't exactly have a social life. What did it matter? She was doing just fine with herself. She said as much to the pesky redhead. In a few months she would attend medical school and in a few short years she would be Dr. Jaden West sticking a knife in someone's chest while her friends drowned in their conformed, domestic lives.

With a groan Jade stumbled out of bed into the adjoining restroom. She made quick work of the morning routine, forgoing a thirty minute shower for a quicker five minutes. She dried off and jumped into a pair of clean scrubs then headed to the kitchen for breakfast. She rummaged through the contents of her fridge deciding on bagels and cream cheese. She fixed one up, poured some milk in a glass, and sat down to enjoy it instead of running out the door in a rush as usual.

She'd been oddly pacific these last few weeks, as if waiting on something. At the back of her mind she knew what is was. The letter. Consciously she couldn't admit to that. Her ego couldn't handle it. She was anxiously awaiting a reply to her cryptic letter sent to a stranger on a whim.

Jade didn't know what compelled her to write back to words that weren't meant for her. It was just an impulse. And that's what scared her the most. She wasn't the type of person to give in to impulses. She was the kind of girl that planned every thing out carefully then saw it through. But that girl's words, so emotional, so raw- she felt an obligation to write back. All too often she felt like she was standing in that crowded room going by unnoticed. The only differences between them being that she didn't scream. She went on in silence, observing, trying to find that other person who wasn't fooled by the veil. They might approach things differently but she understood the want, the urge, the NEED to find some one else that just... got it.

Perhaps Cat's words had more of an influence than she'd bargained...

Jade wiped away the crumbs of her impromptu breakfast, grabbed her keys, and headed out the door. As she passed the garage she briefly considered driving but found no point in wasting gas to go six blocks down the street. She glanced lovingly at the 1973 Dodge Charger, her most prized possession. The walk would be good for her...

Besides the fact that she spent her weekend obsessing over that damn letter (again), the other part of it was spent thinking about Dustin Brooks. Who was he? What did he do? Who were his friends? Why did he feel the need to cheat on his girlfriend if she was so great? Obviously Zoey Brooks thought so. And why was Zoey Brooks so protective of her brother's girlfriend? Was she really that innocent? Were they really that close of friends? Was there something else going on? She usually didn't take so much interest in strangers but Dustin Brooks was without fail a very interesting man. 99% of the time people lead boring, uneventful, and unremarkable lives. But not Dustin.

Then there was the fact that she'd felt flattered by him and his sister's (negative) attention. Obviously

Dustin was a man of aesthetic standards. Zoey seemed to think so as well.

'How the mighty have fallen,' she thought sadly. Three months ago she wouldn't have hesitated to give a slippery weasel like Dustin Brooks a piece of her mind. Her life was really starting to tear into her.

With a sigh she grabbed her phone out of her backpack, putting it on vibrate before slipping it into her back pocket. Her supervisor, the pristine Josh Peck, didn't exactly agree with modern technology.

"Hey girl!" A lively voice greeted her as she stepped through the sliding doors of the hospital's side entrance.

Jade smirked, eying the painfully flamboyant male nurse. His braided hair was pulled back into a pony tail, his stylish square framed glasses catching a glint from the over head lights. Ridiculous how one person could manage to look so good and so stupid at the same time. He was wearing his trademark Barney scrubs, the ones that made it look like he was wearing a costume rather than a uniform.

"What's up, Andre?"

He came sauntering over. Sauntering because Andre could never simply just walk. He glided, he floated, he sashayed, he twirled but he never just walked. He leaned over for one of his awkward far away hugs, his big hands patting her shoulders.

"How was your weekend?"

She smiled wistfully. "Just me and the tube. Yours?"

His dark eyes lit up. She snickered. This should be good. Andre was always up to something. "Ooh, girl, I met the hottest bitch in town. His name is Rob, he's in the navy, currently single. We met at the club, had a few drinks, went back to his place, had a few more drinks and the rest of the night is a hot, sweaty, orgasmic blur." He finished, fanning his face with his hands for effect.

Jade shook out the image of Andre and Rob's hot, sweaty wrestling. "Sounds like you had fun."

Andre waggled his brows. "Don't worry, honey, he has this absolutely gorgeous sister. I can hook you up if you want."

"No, thanks."

He pouted. "Why not? You need to get out more, Jaden West, you're becoming a hermit. What if you become some freak that lives with a hundred cats and gets off listening to her neighbors have sex?" He gasped, "Or worse. What if you don't get off at all?"

She laughed ignoring the dirty look from one of the secretaries. "Trust me, I hate cats. And I don't have time for stuff like that. I start med school in a few months."

Andre shook his head in disappointment. "As pretty as you is, not as pretty as me of course-"

"Of course."

"-you could have your pick of the litter. I know ten fine ass boys trying to get with you just in this department... a few none too shabby looking ladies, too." He added with a knowing smirk.

Jade's face heated up. She grabbed a few files off of one of the cabinets and started walking towards the back. "Yeah, sure-"

"Hey where are you going?"

She paused, looking over her shoulder. "Upstairs."

Andre shook his head. "You're not up there today. You're working the other side."

Jade frowned. "But I thought-"

"I know," Andre shrugged, his face apologetic, "I'll see what I can do about that for the rest of your week but right now just go ahead and take it."

She sighed but nodded. She returned the files back to the cabinet and began the long walk to the adjacent building. Her shift hadn't even begun and already she felt a headache stirring in her temples.

Jade hated working with kids. It was just something that bothered her beyond reasoning. Pretty stupid of her since this was mostly a children's hospital. Seeing their sad eyes, their hearts on their sleeves- because that's what kids did, they wore their hearts on their sleeves- it was an emotional abuse she didn't take to kindly. She could never understand how parents were ignorant enough to allow their kids to get as messed up as some of them did. It was beyond her conception. Cat said she had issues, that she didn't care. She preferred to see it as not getting involved.

The truth of the matter was this was the only hospital with any openings for an internship. She had to tough it out until school began. Here's wishing another positioned came to her once her classes began.

"Jade we need you ASAP." Her supervisor came rushing at her. He grabbed her arm and began dragging her away. "We need you on a case."

Let the good times roll.

~~C.O.A~~

Two weeks. Two weeks since Tori last saw Quinn or Zoey. Two weeks since Zoey broke the news to her, since her argument with Dustin. Many events had taken place in those two weeks.

She and Dustin were back together. She went home that day, popped open a bottle of champagne, got drunk, and cried herself to sleep. The next day he showed up looking as cool as ever, that gorgeous, boyish smile on his face. He had a dozen white roses and breakfast for her. It was enough to make her reconsider her decision to leave him. They'd spent the day together watching movies and snacking out on all her favorites, which he brought. He did everything right, everything he'd done to make her fall in love the first time around. She decided she would give him some time.

She hadn't seen Quinn since their lunch date but they'd spoken over the phone. Her nerdy friend wasn't thrilled by the idea of the two timing blonde hanging around. "I'm only giving him a few days, to see if tells me himself. If he doesn't I'll confront him about it. It will be over, Quinn."

But of course he never confessed, and she never confronted him. It was never really over. She knew she was messed up for it. She just couldn't leave him. They'd been together for almost six years. That was a life time by today's standards. She couldn't imagine herself waking up to an empty bed knowing it would be that way from now on. She needed him. She wasn't the type of girl that could deal with being alone. Never had been.

Tori chewed her lip nervously as she knocked on her boss's door. She'd only been ten minutes late. Surely that was no reason to earn herself a scolding from the boss.

"Come in." Helen barked.

She took a deep breath, mentally steeling herself. Helen was known to make employees cry. She never showed a bit of remorse either. Hell, she'd even seen a few quit after walking out of her office. She gulped. No one wanted to piss off the boss and especially not her. Helen was a big angry black woman who spoke too loud and liked to give people the crazy eyes. It was all very intimidating.

"You needed to see me?"

"Ah, Tori Vega. Just the girl I wanted to see. Come in. Sit down."

Tori did as instructed, fighting the slight tremble in her hands all the while. She couldn't afford to lose this job. The pay wasn't stellar but it was enough to cover the bills and it kept the refrigerator stocked throughout the month. Sometimes there was even a little extra. Dustin tried talking her into moving in with him countless of times over the course of their relationship. In her mind it was relinquishing whatever control she had left to him. She couldn't do that to herself. She had to admit though, it would certainly be helpful as far as finances went.

Helen finished typing and sat back in her large leather office chair. She eyed the Latina from head to toe, humming positively. "You were fifteen minutes late today."

Tori's blood pressure shot through the roof. It was ten but that didn't matter. Helen was unforgiving when it came to employees' punctuality. "Yes, ma'am, I was."

Helen raised a brow. "How come?"

She shifted nervously. Make up a very convincing lie? Or hope for the best? "I don't have an excuse, ma'am, just the reason for my tardiness."

"What reason is that?"

"Traffic."

For several moments Tori felt her life was in the balance. In her mind she was going over her savings, adding up the bills, and recalling where she'd seen signs that read, 'NOW HIRING.'

Eventually Helen cleared her throat. "Don't make it a habit. The reason I called you up here is because your trainer is on leave until further notice. Apparently someone made a complaint against him. He's under investigation."

Tori's brows shot up into her hairline. "Rex is under investigation? Am I under investigation?" She felt the blood drain from her face. This was considerably worse than getting fired. This could ruin her life.

"This complaint was from a client in 2008. Way before you ever came along." Helen stated. "However I do have to ask, did he ever mention anything that you thought was questionable?"

She shook her head no. Rex was generally an OK guy. Sure he was forty two years old and leered at her a lot but what old geezer didn't get off harassing younger girls? She let it slide though because he was damn good at his job.

"Okay, Vega, You have an appointment with a client at 10. If you do well on your own today consider yourself done with training. I'll give you all of Rex's cases. There will be more responsibility on your hands but the perks make it worth it. Pay is raised by six dollars hourly, you'll receive a company gas card, a company car, a company phone, and a company laptop. Does that sounds good?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded dumbly. Cognitive sentences were out of the question.

"Get going then. Steve will give you the details at the front desk." Tori jumped to her feet already half way out the door before Helen shouted, "Good luck, Vega! And don't be late!"

Her first instinct was to reach for the phone and call Quinn and Zoey. She'd walked into Helen's office expecting to get fired. Instead she walked out with a promotion! The job wasn't hers yet. There was still the little matter of going through with her appointment.

She grinned, typing a quick message before slipping the phone back in her pocket. Steve greeted her with a big smile. She didn't really make friends with co workers, mostly because they were stuck up. But Crazy Steve was a really nice guy if a bit out there. "Someone looks happy." He commented.

"Someone's getting promoted."

"I heard. Congrats. Here's the file, gas card, phone, and keys. Good luck. It's a war zone out there in the streets."

Tori's smile considerably faded. She was so happy about the promotion that she'd overlooked one crucial point. From now on she was going into these situations alone. If someone had a gun or a knife, if they were high or drunk, if they were determined to keep their dirty dark secrets out of the light...

Steve's own smile twisted. "Don't worry. I've been here for ten years, the worst that has happened was getting chased by a dog out of a yard."

"What kind of dog?"

"Dogs actually."

"What kind of dogs?"

"Gotti pitbulls. Trained as guard dogs for a small time drug dealer. He got mad at his eight year old daughter and threw her to them. They tore her up pretty good." Tori paled. Steve ran his hand through his buzzed head, a nervous smile in place. He'd said the wrong thing. "But she's okay now." He added cheerfully.

She deflated. "Thanks for the pep talk, Steve."

"You'll be okay."

"Yeah, sure. I'm convinced."

"They appreciate your help, Tori." He commented, suddenly very serious. "These kids, you might not think so, but you're a hero to them. They appreciate your help. You think they're young, that they don't know what you're doing for them but they'll remember tomorrow what you do for them today. Trust me."

Tori gave him a little wave. She knew it all too well.

~~C.O.A~~

7:30 PM.

Jade walked out of the examination room looking like she'd just been through a war. There was blood on her face, hands, scrubs, and shoes. Her skin was paler than usual against the crimson and dark circles around her eyes made her look like a raccoon. Her arms hung limply at her sides, her eyes glazed over.

She ignored the looks and general nosy-ness of her fellow coworkers, shuffling on until she felt she might collapse. She dropped like lead into a seat in one of the waiting rooms, her legs shaky and weak. She looked like the victim in a zombie movie.

Little Samantha Puckett was only four years old. A police officer ( none other than officer Caterina Valentine) found her inside a dumpster after someone called in an "anonymous" tip. The kid was covered in cuts, filth, lice, and even maggots. She was sick, badly so. Jade couldn't imagine anyone NOT being ill after eating garbage for two weeks.

The shock of first seeing the little girl had rendered her speechless and motionless. As her eyes took in her tangled hair crawling with bugs, the dirt and filth on her pale face, the wounds crawling with worms- she wasn't able to control the tears nor the nausea. She ran out, her hands covering her mouth as she fought down her breakfast and her mind shut out that horrible image...

She looked over her bandaged hand. The nurse had just cleaned it for her but it was already soiled again. Scalpels are sharp; Sam was squirmy. It was an accident. She couldn't bring herself to care too much. A little cut was nothing to make a fuss over. Not when Sam was laying in a hospital bed fighting for her life against a severe infection.

Jade rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes releasing a deep breath. She wondered if Cat would mind coming over to keep her company. Everything felt wrong. She didn't want to be alone. Not tonight. She felt tears prick her eyes. Not tonight.

"Looks like you've had a long day."

Jade groaned internally. Couldn't she have one moment to herself? She slit an eye open to look beside her. The other one flew open.

She hadn't seen the woman sitting there. Was she really that out of it? She had these outrageously high cheek bones but it looked good on her. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in rich dark brown waves framing her face like a picture. Her eyes squinted a bit when she smiled at her.

"Yeah, no kidding." Her eyes were drawn to the badge hanging around her neck. "CPS."

She nodded. "That's right."

"Are you here with the little girl?"

She looked sheepish for a bit. "Honestly, I don't know. It's a child endangerment case. I was on my way home when the office called and said there was a kid in very bad shape brought to the hospital by the police. All I have is a name."

Jade snorted. A child endangerment case? That was almost pretty. Talk about sugarcoating. Endangerment meant the kid was in danger, that something bad might happen. What happened to Sam was cruelty, low, disgusting. Screwed up. She eyed the brunette once more. She seemed like a nice girl if a little green. Taking out her anger on her didn't seem right.

"You look kind of young to be CPS."

She raised a shapely brow. "I could say the same about you, Jade."

Jade frowned, dark brows dipping low over emerald eyes. Her lips turned downward at the corners. "How do you know my name?"

"I volunteer here on Fridays. We've bumped into each other once or twice." She explained with an easy smile, not at all put off by her animosity.

Jade relaxed a bit. She seemed to recall almost knocking the Latina over once or twice in her haste. It was a wonder her mind could conjure up anything besides the little girl... "Now I remember. You're uh, Vega, right?"

Tori grinned. "Tori."

Jade took her hand. "Jade West. I apologize. I don't tend to give out my name a lot."

"Ahh," Tori nodded wisely, "Don't get out much?"

"You caught me."

"It's okay, neither do I."

She smirked at this. The fact that Tori began a conversation with her was evidence suggesting the opposite. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's true," she laughed. Jade felt some of the tension in her shoulders melt. She had a nice laugh. "I have like four friends."

"I have like one."

Tori burst into a fit of giggles. Jade couldn't hold back a little grin of her own despite her mood.

They spent the next hour talking about silly things that made absolutely no sense nor held any importance. It was nice for a change, definitely something different for Jade. She couldn't recall the last time she'd actually enjoyed a stranger's company. Tori was just the right amount of friendly, enthusiastic, and down to earth. She also appreciated the fact that she never questioned the cut on her hand or the blood on her uniform. She wouldn't be able to handle answering any of those questions. It was almost as if Tori knew she needed someone to just be there. The Latina never stopped smiling and never stopped trying to make her laugh.

They were getting to the topic of movies when her supervisor came into the waiting room. Her heart jumped into her throat. Josh looked very serious. He often did but there was something different about him that made her blood run cold. She climbed to her feet but he shook his head at her.

"Ms. Vega."

Tori sobered up immediately, her shoulders squaring themselves and all traces of her smile gone. She grabbed her bag and followed the doctor towards the back doors.

Jade grabbed her backpack off the floor, ready to leave as well when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Tori flashed her a smile, not like the ones from before but a more timid one. She held out a business card. "It was nice talking to you, Jade. Maybe we can grab lunch some day. I could use a friend."

Jade took the small card, examining it. "Sure." She wanted to say more but her mind was back on Samantha Puckett.

"Alright. Bye, Jade."

"Bye," she called after her. Seconds later she disappeared behind the swinging steel doors. She tucked the card into her backpack then fished out her cell phone and dialed Cat's number. It went straight to voice mail. Her heart sank.

~~C.O.A~~

Six hours later Jade stumbled into her apartment, a silly grin on her face to match her companion's. They giggled like little school girls as they fumbled their way into the dark room nearly tripping every other step.

"Shh!" She hissed but she didn't know why. It's not like there was anyone else home. But why did she feel like she was being watched?...

Suddenly the living room light flickered on sending a stabbing pain to her head and eyes. She groaned in protest. It took her a minute to get over the harshness of the light. "Cat."

Cat stared at her with a neutral expression. Whatever she was feeling she sure as hell wasn't letting it show. "Drunk on a Monday night. That's low, Jade."

Jade rolled her eyes, taking her arm from around the brunette. Carly gave her a look which she promptly ignored. "You've met Carly, right?"

The redhead pursed her lips. "Sure." Her eyes darted to the equally plastered woman. She bit back a scowl. "We need to talk. Maybe you and your friend can do whatever it is you were going to do some other time."

"Or we can talk some other time." She said flippantly. She flopped down on the couch, one arm draped over her eyes while the other tugged at Carly's hand.

Carly shot a quick look at Cat. "I just remembered I have something to do. With Freddy." She smiled sweetly at Jade, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on her lips before retracting her hand. "I had fun tonight. Call me?"

Cat interrupted. "She'll give you a ring. You know you're way out, right? Good. Nice seeing you again, Megan."

"It's Carly."

"What ever." Cat dismissed. She waited until the door was shut before fixing the drunk brunette with a withering glare. "Getting drunk and bringing some random slu-"

"She's not random and she's not a slut." Jade growled. She could feel Cat's stare on her.

"What's with you? I've been calling you all night. So has the hospital."

"I don't care."

"Jade," Cat's tone softened, "Sam Puckett-"

"Is there something you need, Cat? If not, I'd like to go to bed. I had a long day."

Cat's mouth snapped shut. Mentally Jade was slapping herself. She was in a foul mad and Cat didn't deserve her scorn. She knew hooking up with Carly was a bad idea but she was drunk and Carly was there and she just wanted some company.

Cat snatched her purse up from the floor and stomped over to her side. "You got a letter." She said, throwing it at her.

Jade closed her eyes with a sigh, the slamming door making her flinch. "You screwed up big time.' She told herself, those nasty stubborn tears that had bothered her all day making a reappearance. She just wanted some company. Going to Carly wasn't her smartest idea. Bringing her back to her apartment didn't win her a Nobel prize either.

"This is all so fucked up." She had half a mind to go chase after Cat when her hand brushed against the letter at her side. She picked it up, inspecting the plain white envelope. There was no return address and no name. Hers wasn't on it either. Just the number of her apartment. The handwriting looked familiar...

Jade's eyes widened in recognition. Faster than her own mind could grasp she tore the envelope open and yanked the folded piece of paper out. Her heart beat outrageously hard against her chest, so hard she could hear it in the silence of her apartment. Her mouth suddenly went dry. Was she nervous? Why should she be? It was just a letter. Just a letter from a stranger...

_More than likely I've lost my mind. But I believe you. Who ever you are..._

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**AN: Forgot this bit haha. No it's not a multi fandom crossover. I'm simply using characters from other shows because writing about the same people over and over is getting boring as hell. Think outside the bun :)**


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